Serious Commitments

Natasha T. Miller’s work as an artist is expansive. In addition to being a performance poet, she’s also authored a book, produced a film, starred in commercials for Sprite, and currently serves as the Brand Culture Ambassador for Shinola.

Today, she’s also an entrepreneur. She became a Kresge Artist fellow in 2012, and used her grant award to develop and pilot the Artists Inn, a network of bed and breakfasts across the country that serve artists and help artists serve their communities.

She does all of her work through a activists’ lens, finding every opportunity to champion LGBTQ rights and speak out against racism and the violence and inequity that stems from it.

We wanted to talk to T. about her commitment to being an artist and an entrepreneur, and how being in a long-term relationship and becoming a part-time parent has impacted her work.

To stay in touch with T. and learn more about upcoming performances or the Artists Inn, check out @tmillerpoetry on Twitter.

Levi Baer is an entrepreneur and community builder. Among the litany of skills he possess and projects he’s working on, he’s the creator the entrepreneur community Coffee & Conversation, an instructor of Communication Studies at DePaul University, and the co-founder of The Second Shift, a co-working space located in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.

We wanted to talk to Levi about what it's like to pursue your entrepreneurial passion, and hear about what kind of personal, professional, and financial risks it really takes if you want to chase your dreams and be your own boss. If you want to learn more about Levi and his work, you can check out levibaer.com.

Bridgett has had the pleasure of working with Mary through her position as the Program Coordinator for ELI Talks, a TED-talks-style program for stories centered in Jewish faith. In addition to Mary’s strong faith identity, we discussed her marriage to her wife Rachel last year, and their decision to foster their first child.

We wanted to know more about Jared's journey into comedy, his recent move from Atlanta to the Midwest, and how his perception of being a successful comedian has changed since he began performing.

Kate Lochner is a 27-year-old writer, wife, and mom of two. Passionate about personal balance and mental health, Kate documents her life-long battle with anxiety, journey into parenthood, and the ultimate search for a gluten free doughnut on her blog.

Since Kate’s only a year older than we are, we wanted to hear more about how she came to make some huge commitments in her life - marriage and kids in particular.

David Velez is a medical case manager working with HIV-positive patients in a community health center in Chicago. He has had various positions in social services in Illinois for over 30 years. We wanted to explore his dedication to this field and his journey from growing up in rural Puerto Rico, joining the army and coming out at 30-years-old.

A hello from your hosts and more on why we decided to create Serious Commitments